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Ode to Olive Oil
The Champagne of Cooking Oils
By Deborah C. Harding
Baking with olive oil is not common, but it can produce light and moist breads, muffins and cakes. Just substitute olive oil, using the conversion chart below, for butter in a recipe. If you prefer not to have an olive taste, use light oil and remember -- you'll be cutting down on calories merely because you are using less fat in the recipe.
Drizzle a bit of oil over popcorn or fill a spray bottle with olive oil and use instead of non-stick baking sprays. Brush extra virgin oil over meats, fish or poultry to seal in juices when broiling or grilling.
Cheri Sias, chef at The Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly, Mich. says, "Olive oil is so good I could just drink it." Her favorite variety is Extra Virgin. She uses it in marinades and makes a foccachia with olive oil topped with sun dried tomatoes. Chef Sias also makes what she calls Italian Butter. "Pour olive oil on a plate and sprinkle fresh cracked pepper over top. Then dip a piece of crusty bread in it." Chef Sias warns that deep-frying in olive oil is a little tricky because foods tend to burn. She also has another use for olive oil: It's a great topical ointment for the discomfort of chapped lips.
Olive oil is a healthy and tasty alternative to vegetable oils to be enjoyed with meats, vegetables, salads, breads and baked goods. As Homer wrote, it's 'liquid gold' and a true champagne of oils.